Survivors
by emmariley20
Summary: A Demily story. What happens when a case leaves two children orphaned? Will Emily and Derek take a chance and expand their family by adopting them?
1. Chapter 1

A/N:I got mixed reviews on whether to do a Demily story, but I decided to go for it. The intro chapter definitely leans towards a casefic, but I promise I'm just setting the scene. It will become much more family oriented and Derek/Emily centered in future chapters.

And as always, I do not own any of the characters, storylines, etc. of Criminal Minds.

* * *

"Ugh, turn it off." Emily groaned as the alarm went off on Derek's side of the bed. She shivered at the loss of his body heat as he rolled over to shut the alarm off. When he turned back around, Derek pulled Emily closer against him, dropping a kiss to her hair and running his fingers up and down her spine. Emily smiled, humming contentedly at the feeling.

"We're going to have to get up some time, you know." Derek noted a few minutes later, knowing Emily was falling back asleep.

"Let's call off."

Derek chuckled. "I don't think Hotch would appreciate that." It was their first day back after taking a week off to celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary. They'd spent a blissfully relaxing week in Majorca, Spain soaking up the sun and sand.

"Mmm, I'd make it worth your while." Emily smirked, planting a series of kisses on Derek's jaw and neck, working her way down his smooth, bare chest. As much as Derek would've loved to continue, he stopped her before she could get to her desired destination.

"Don't start something you can't finish, princess."

Emily sighed, planting a final kiss to Derek's lips and getting up. "Alright, I'll start the coffee."

"I'll warm up the shower."

**####**

JJ was waiting at the round table when the team arrived, briefing folders at the ready. "Morristown, NJ is requesting our help." She began, flipping through several crime scene photos on the screen. "They've had four home invasions in two weeks, all taking place in the middle of the night and everyone home is found shot in their beds execution style to the head."

"How many victims?" Reid asks.

"13 so far." Hotch answers. "We'll go over more details on the plane. Wheels up in 30."

Garcia videos in on the jet to go over the four home invasions that have taken place. The first was an older couple in their late 60s. The second home invasion was a family of four, followed a few days later by a family of five and last night by a young couple in their 20s.

"This unsub is crossing all sorts of typical boundaries. Age, race, couples with and without kids. Garcia have you found any overlap in their lives by reviewing financials?" Rossi asks.

"No, they all live vastly different lives. They shop in different neighborhoods, eat at different restaurants. The two families with kids lived in different school districts. So far I'm coming up empty."

"Alright, Garcia keep digging. JJ and Reid go to the latest crime scene when we land. Morgan and Rossi, you guys head to the morgue. Prentiss and I will set up at the local PD's office." Hotch instructed.

**####**

Two days later the team had made no progress when the unsub struck again.

"Go ahead Garcia." Hotch's voice rang out over the speaker of the conference call. Derek and Reid had gone to the latest crime scene while the rest of the team went back to the PD's office.

"The latest victims are Tom and Beth Rodgers. Their twins, Jake and Lydia were six years old and…" Garcia starts.

"Wait, Beth Rodgers. We just talked to her, she's the daughter of the first two victims, the Hippler's." Prentiss noted.

"Coincidence? It is a relatively small town." JJ asked.

"Doubtful. I think we've been looking at this wrong the whole time. The unsub wanted us to think it was all random, but the Hippler family was the target the whole time." Rossi stated. "There's a brother as well, right?"

"Let me check." The line is quiet for a moment while Garcia does her search. "Yes, his name is Trent. He and his wife Julie have two children and live a couple towns over in Westfield."

"Prentiss, I want you to meet up with Morgan and head to Westfield. If this family is the real target, we need to stay with them until this is over. Garcia, I need you to dig deep. Find out everything you can about this family and who might be targeting them. The rest of us, we're going to continue working this from here." Everyone noted their agreement and Hotch ended the phone call.

An hour later, Derek and Emily were pulling up to Trent Hippler's home in Westfield. "You ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be." Derek sighed. He and Emily got out of the SUV and approached the front door of the house, ringing the bell. A second later a man opened the door.

"Can I help you?" He asks.

"Trent Hippler?" When the man nods, Derek pulls out his badge, Emily following suit. "I'm Agent Morgan, this is Agent Prentiss. May we speak to you?"

"Of course, come in." Mr. Hippler led Derek and Emily into his sitting room. "Is this about my parents?"

Derek looked at Emily, who spoke solemnly. "Sir, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your sister her family were killed early this morning."

"No. No, this can't be happening. First our parents, now Beth."

"We're very sorry, sir. I know this is a hard time for you and your family, but we need to ask you some questions."

"Of course, go ahead."

Derek sighed. "Do you know of anyone who may want to hurt or have a grudge against your family?"

He shook his head vehemently. "No, I've been wracking my brain since the cops asked me that last week. I can't think of anyone."

As Derek was about to speak again, Trent's daughter ran into the room, his wife not far behind carrying their son. "Oh! Is everything ok, Trent?" Julie asked her husband.

"Who are they daddy?" His daughter asked.

Emily bent down in front of her. "My name is Emily. What's your name?"

"Nora. And that's my mommy and my brother, Adam." She replies, pointing back to her mom and baby brother.

"Nora, do you think you could go show Miss Emily your playroom upstairs?" Trent suggested.

"Sure! You can help me build a fort." Nora takes Emily's hand and leads her upstairs, leaving Derek to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Hippler.

**####**

Mr. and Mrs. Hippler turned out to be quite the handful. Despite several lengthy conversations, they refused to go into protective custody. Furthermore, they had plans to attend a gala for Mr. Hippler's company in Manhattan that evening and refused to cancel their plans to stay in the city for the weekend. The only thing they'd caved on was allowing Emily and Derek to stay with the children instead of a nanny, for safety.

The first evening with the kids went smoothly. 3-year-old Nora was a bundle of joy and energy, unphased by the dangers haunting her family. She was enamored with her 10-month-old brother, Adam, who was a happy, easy-going baby. Emily made pasta for dinner and after both kids had been given a bath, Derek settled in with Nora to read a bedtime story while Emily put Adam down. Once both kids were asleep, Emily and Derek settled down on the couch and started reviewing files.

They were startled from their work a few hours later when they heard Nora scream from upstairs. Both agents ran up the stairs to Nora's room, guns drawn, to find Nora sitting up in her bed crying. Emily quickly holstered her weapon and sat down next to Nora, wrapping her in her arms and pulling her onto her lap while Derek secured the room.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Emily spoke softly to Nora, who was clinging tightly to her.

"There, there was a, a monster outside the window." Nora managed through her sobs. Emily looked to Derek then with wide eyes and he walked to the window, looking outside. He looked back to Emily, shaking his head to inform her there was no sign of anyone, then went down the hall to check on Adam.

"Ok, you're ok now sweet girl. You're ok." Emily stroked her fingers through Nora's hair as she held her close. Derek returned to the room a moment later with Adam in his arms, still sleeping.

"Hey Nora, what do you say we all go curl up in the guest room and we can have a sleepover." Derek recommended.

"Can I bring Scruffy?" She asked, referring to her stuffed dog that she brought with her everywhere.

"Of course." Emily replied, picking her up and following Derek down the hall. They got Nora settled in the middle of the king-sized guest bed. Derek crawled in the right side, sitting against the headboard with Adam sleeping against his chest while Emily climbed in the left side of the bed. She continued to comb her fingers through Nora's hair soothingly until the little girl had fallen back asleep.

"I should call Hotch." Emily whispered to Derek, who nodded in agreement. Emily crawled out of the bed once she assured that Nora was sound asleep, going to retrieve her phone and dialing Hotch's number. He patched in the team as she informed them of what Nora had said.

"Have you gone outside the house?" Rossi asked.

"No, our focus was on the kids." Emily responded. "Derek looked out the window but didn't see anything suspicious. Her window is on the second level though, so if the unsub was really there that means he climbed up the trellis."

"We'll dispatch extra patrol to the neighborhood for the night and send techs in the morning. You and Derek just focus on keeping the kids safe. And Emily," Hotch paused. "You and Derek be careful."

"We will." Emily ensured before hanging up.

**####**

Derek and Emily took turns sleeping that night, making sure that someone was always awake and alert. Come dawn, crime scene techs arrived at the house to search the yard and surrounding areas for any sign of trespassing. Sure enough, footprints were found in the garden and dirt was found on the trellis, confirming Nora's claims that a monster was outside her window, and that monster was the unsub.

JJ called Trent and Julie to inform them of what had happened, and while they agreed to come back to town that day, they also didn't seem rushed.

"Some parents." Derek scoffed to Emily as they were cleaning up from breakfast.

"They remind me of my mom. Too caught up in their own careers to truly care about their own children." Emily replied. Derek looked at her solemnly, which did not go unnoticed by Emily. "Hey, it's ok. I didn't say that for pity, I just feel bad for the kids."

"They're sweet, aren't they?" Derek smiles.

Emily nods in agreement just before her phone rings. "You've got Morgan and I on speaker." She answers.

"Alright, Garcia. We're all on, go ahead." Hotch informs.

"Ok, so, I've been digging deep into every member of the Hippler family and I found something interesting in William Hippler's past. When I went digging into the family company, I found some reviews on a website called Owler. It's a website that has basic information about companies, including who their CEO is. Most people thought very highly of William Hippler as CEO, but there were a few nasty comments made claiming that he was an amoral, callous old man. However, when I dug deeper, all the comments were made by the same person."

"That has to be a strong grudge to go after the whole family. Are you sure it's relevant?" JJ pointed out.

"Hang with me. The man's name is Andrew Langetti, his mother Barbara worked as an assistant for William Hippler 32 years ago. After Andrew was born, his mother was suddenly promoted to the accounting department and given a substantial raise, like 3x the amount anyone else in the department was making and she had zero experience. She passed away when Andrew was 12 and with no father listed on the birth certificate or other family, he went into foster care and his life pretty much went downhill from there. He was in and out of juvie all throughout his teens, never finished high school and hasn't been able to hold down a job for more than 6 months."

"Is there any actual proof that Andrew is William's biological son?" Hotch asked.

"Unfortunately, no, it's all speculation. But if you look at the picture I just sent, I'm telling you, this guy is the homely replica of William Hippler."

Derek pulled out his phone and opened the image, showing it to Emily. Garcia was right. "Baby girl, do you know where Andrew is now?"

"Uh, his Metro Card shows him getting on the subway in Newark at 6:23am."

"He's going into the city." Emily spoke. "JJ, when did you talk to Trent and Julie?"

"Just after 7am, they sounded fine. You think he's going after them in the city?"

"He came here last night and didn't find what he was looking for. I think that's exactly what he's doing."

**####**

Hotch scrambled to get a team from the NYC field office to Trent and Julie's hotel, but they were too late. When the team arrived, Julie was already dead, and Andrew had Trent held at gunpoint, ranting about how Trent and Beth had the lives he should've had and that his dad was a disgrace for not acknowledging his existence. He shot Trent milliseconds before he himself was taken down in a hail of gunfire, and just like that, Nora and Adam became the sole survivors of the Hippler family.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Brief mentions of miscarriage in this chapter.

And once again, I do not own CM or any of the characters.

* * *

"You're thinking about the kids again, aren't you?" Derek asked as he crawled into bed. Emily nodded solemnly, setting down her book. She slid down from where she was sitting against the headboard and curled into Derek's side.

It was her second night back in DC after the case in New Jersey. After the social worker arrived, Emily had helped explain to Nora, as best as one can to a 3-year-old, that her parents had joined her grandparents "in the sky." Nora had clung to Emily then, bursting into tears and refusing to let go of Emily when the social worker tried to pry her away. Emily made the choice to stay then, while the team returned to DC. She stayed with the kids at the DCS facility overnight and waited for the temporary foster parents to pick them up in the morning.

When the time had come for Emily to finally say goodbye, both Nora and Adam cried profusely. Emily knew that they weren't explicitly crying for her but rather for the loss of every bit of familiarity they had. Still, she couldn't help but feel like she was abandoning them.

"Is it weird that I miss them?" Emily asked, tears prickling at her eyes.

Derek pulled her closer as he spoke. "Not at all. It's who you are. Deny it all you want, but deep down you're a big softy and I know you care deeply about those kids." A few moments passed of comfortable silence before Derek spoke again. "What if we adopted them?"

Emily raised herself up on her elbow, looking at Derek with wide eyes. "You've been thinking about it, too?"

He nodded. "I know there's a lot to consider, but it seems like something we should talk about. I just didn't know how to bring it up or how you would feel about it. It hasn't been that long since… you know."

And she did know. He was referring to the baby they lost just a few months ago. Emily hadn't even known she was pregnant and then one particularly rough take down during a case had her in the hospital, bleeding heavily after a kick to her lower abdomen. It was the second miscarriage they'd had in the year since they started trying for a baby, and after the second time, both Emily and Derek had agreed to take a break. They were still relatively young, in their late thirties, and felt they could afford to take a year to emotionally heal and think about how they wanted to proceed.

"It's all I've been thinking about and I'm ready, but Derek, what if they hate us? I mean, we failed to protect their parents."

"First of all, we did our best. We can't force people into protective custody if they don't want it, and Trent and Julie made that choice. Second of all, as much as I hate to say it, Adam won't even remember them, and Nora's conscious memories of them will fade, too. We have to believe that by the time they're old enough to ask questions, they'd be mature enough to understand the truth." Derek reached over and wiped a tear from Emily's cheek with his thumb. "If you want to look into this, to do this, I'm all in."

"I have a few connections in social services, I'll make some calls in the morning." Emily said, cuddling back into Derek's side. "I love you." Emily whispered before drifting off to sleep.

**####**

Emily and Derek were fortunate. Due to their jobs, they already had full clearance and background checks complete. Furthermore, they didn't have to worry about attending adoption seminars on how to handle children who suffered from physical or emotional trauma, their training at the BAU far surpassing anything they would have learned.

Over the next week, they filled out mounds of paperwork, gathered their references and completed their first home study. The second week, they met with a case manager to talk about their chances of getting Adam and Nora moved to DC to stay with them.

"After two weeks in the system, most kids their age would already in several family's eyesight for adoption. However, with all the media attention their family received during the murders, people aren't exactly lining up. It's unfortunate for the kids, but it'll make moving them here easier. Now that you have all your paperwork in order, I'll contact their agency and make the request. I should know by the end of the week. In the meantime, given the likelihood, I'd start talking about your plans if everything goes through." The case manager advised.

Derek and Emily walked away from the meeting hopeful but took the case manager's advisement to heart. When they got home that night, they had a serious conversation about work. The reality was that if they were going to have Nora and Adam in their care, they didn't both want to be subject to the demands of the BAU.

"You're in line for the unit chief position if Hotch gets moved up to section chief, are you sure you want to give that up?" Emily asked as they sat down on the couch to talk.

"Yeah, definitely." But Derek had been silent for just a beat too long before replying and Emily caught it. She narrowed her eyes at him and he sighed. "Fine, I don't know. But are you ready to give up _your _career?"

"I am. I've dedicated my life to my career for the past decade, Derek. First at Interpol, then the FBI. I want to focus on us now, on our potential family." Emily said with determination.

Derek nodded, smiling. "Alright, if you're sure, then we can prep Hotch for the possibility of you leaving."

Emily shifted to sit between Derek's legs, leaning back against his chest. They were both quiet for a moment, each sipping on their wine.

"I can't believe we could have two kids running around here in a few weeks." Derek whispered.

**####**

Three weeks later, the kids were moved to DC. Derek and Emily were called in by their case manager, Elise, to sign the final paperwork necessary to takeover temporary custody. Elise confirmed that if all further home visits and check-ins go well, in six months they could be assigned a court day to finalize the adoption.

"Are you ready to take the kids home?" Elise's question was met by two eager head nods and she led the couple down the hall to a playroom where Nora and Adam were.

Nora turned towards the door when they entered the room, tilting her head. "Emily?"

"Yeah, sweetie. It's me." Emily replied as she knelt down in front of her. "Would you like to come home with me and Derek?"

Nora looked to her brother who was happily playing with some blocks before looking back to Emily. "Adam can come too?"

"Of course!" Derek replied, kneeling down beside Emily. Nora nodded shyly then, stepping closer to Emily. Emily looked apologetically to Derek, but he simply smiled. He knew that Emily had spent more time with the kids and he didn't expect anything to come easy given what they had been through.

Elise and the employee who had been watching the kids helped carry their bags out to Derek and Emily's SUV. Emily was shocked by how little they had, knowing that many of their things must've been left behind and sold in the estate sale. Adam had a few more bags than Nora, the foster family from NJ having packed extra formula, baby food, diapers and wipes for him.

Emily and Derek secured the kids into the car seats they had purchased and a few minutes later they were on their way home. Adam babbled happily on the drive while Nora clutched her stuffed puppy and stared out the window. Emily reached across the console and took Derek's free hand.

"You ready for this?" She asked as he briefly looked over at her.

"With you by my side, absolutely."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm home!" Derek called out as he walked through the front door.

"We're in here!" Emily replied from the kitchen. As Derek made his way further into the house, he saw Adam in his highchair and Nora kneeling on a barstool beside Emily at the stove, helping stir whatever was in the saucepan. He bopped Adam on the nose as he passed, making him laugh, and moved towards Emily and Nora.

"Are you having fun helping Emily cook, Nora?" Derek asked, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

She nodded. "I get to stir the tollini."

"Tortellini." Emily corrected before turning her head and pecking Derek's cheek. "I'm glad you're home. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Ok, I'll go wash up."

As Derek ate with Emily and the kids that night, it was easy to forget this was all still new. The kids had been with them for a month now and Derek had been back at work for two weeks. Emily was 'on sabbatical' for a year, but chances were if everything went smoothly with the adoption in a few months, that it would be permanent.

"Alright munchkins, bath time." Emily said, clearing plates from the table. "Nora, do you want me or Derek tonight?"

"You please." She replied, hopping down from her seat.

"Me it is. I'll meet you upstairs, go pick out which bath toys you want tonight." Emily instructed before returning to the table with a wet washcloth to wipe Adam's hands. "I've been giving them baths together while you're gone, but Nora is really looking forward to having more than a few inches of water. Are you good with him on your own in our tub?"

"We'll be just fine, right little man?" Derek said, blowing a raspberry on Adam's cheek, making him giggle.

"Alright, I'll leave you two handsome men then."

"Hey, wait." Derek grabbed Emily's hand before she could get away. He pulled her in for a short but deep kiss. "It's good to be home." He whispered as they parted.

"We missed you." Emily smiled, leaning in for one more quick peck before going upstairs.

**####**

After baths, Derek gave Adam a small bottle and rocked him to sleep. Once he was down, he joined Emily in Nora's bedroom where they were reading a story in bed. He crawled into the far size of the double bed, Nora now in between him and Emily, and listened to her continue reading.

"'_When you wake in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?' 'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh."_ Emily read.

"That's what I say, too!" Nora exclaimed.

"That you do, sweet girl." Emily kissed her brow and continued reading and Derek once again smiled at the beauty of domesticity.

When Emily finished the book, Nora asked Derek to read one, a request he happily agreed to. Nora fell asleep halfway through the second book, Emily and Derek both easing themselves off the bed and tiptoeing to the door. They stood there for a moment, watching her sleep peacefully before Emily finally shut off the light and cracked the door. She checked in on Adam briefly before following Derek back downstairs.

Both equally exhausted, Derek from the case and Emily from four days with the kids on her own, they changed into their pajamas and crawled into bed. "How was Phoenix?" Emily asked, curling into Derek's side as he pulled the covers up around them.

"About as good a case as can be. I think Tara will be a good fit for the team. It was her first case in the field and she did well. Plus, she can give Reid a run for his money on smarts. How was everything here?"

"It went ok. Nora had another nightmare the first night you were gone and I let her sleep in with me. Will dropped Claire off during Henry's soccer practice yesterday so she and Nora could play, which went well. They were really sweet together and I'm glad Nora will know someone in her preschool class next month. Oh, I also got Adam scheduled for his 1-year check-up next month and it got me thinking, we should start talking about his birthday. It's going to come up fast, and I know he won't remember it but I want to make it special. I started looking at ideas last night if you want to see."

"Sure, but Princess, if you're talking about party planning, you've got the wrong guy. You need to call Garcia for that."

Emily laughed. "I know, I will, I just didn't want to distract her while you guys were on assignment."

They laid in comfortable silence for a minute before Emily yawned widely. "Get some sleep, Em. I'll get the kids in the morning."

"Derek, you don't have to do that. You just got back from a case."

"And you've been supermom on your own for four days, I got the kids." He kissed her brow and reached to shut off the bedside lamp.

**####**

"Can we go to the park today?" Nora asked from where she sat on the couch, sippy cup of milk in hand as she watched an episode of Sofia the First.

"I think that's a great idea." Derek replied as he walked circles around the coffee table with Adam, his little hands gripping Derek's index fingers for balance as he toddled around.

"Emmy taught me how to do monkey bars while you were gone. I still need a little help, but I can do three of them by myself now." Nora said proudly.

Derek smiled. "I can't wait to see it kiddo."

"Do you think we can call Ms. Maddie today?" Maddie was Adam and Nora's nanny from back home, a sweet young woman who the kids adored. Derek and Emily had done their best to let them keep in contact, knowing she was really their only tie to their old life.

"For sure. You can tell her about your dance class, I bet she'll be super excited to hear you signed up."

"Can I sign up for soccer, too? Like Claire?"

Derek laughed. JJ had been talking about Claire wanting to join soccer for weeks now, just like her big brother, and JJ had been all too happy to sign her daughter up. "We'll have to talk to Emily, but I'm sure we make that happen."

"Yay!" She nodded. "Can we go wake Emmy now?"

"I'm up." Emily said softly as she rounded the corner into the living room, mug of coffee in hand. "So, you want to join soccer, too, huh?" She asked, settling down next to Nora on the couch.

"Yes! Please!"

"Ok. We have to make sure it doesn't interfere with dance, but if it doesn't, we can try to get you signed up. No promises though, ok kiddo?"

Nora nodded excitedly.

"Alright, I'm going to go get this guy some breakfast." Derek said, picking Adam up. "Who wants an omelet?"

Emily and Nora both raised their hands and followed Derek into the kitchen. Nora ate her breakfast quickly, eager to get to the park to show off her new skills. Derek and Emily smiled and followed suit and soon enough they were on their way. Nora ran straight to the monkey bars when they arrived, Derek going with her while Emily took Adam to the swings. They spent most of the morning there, soaking up the sun and warmth of the beautiful mid-summer day.

**#### **

When they pulled back into the driveway later that day, the sprinklers were going. Derek look at Nora and smirked, nodding his head toward the yard. Nora smiled and took off running.

"You guys are crazy!" Emily chuckled.

"Come join us." Derek waved his hand over.

"Not a chance. This little guy is about to fall asleep and I need to get him some lunch first." Emily carefully made her way to the front door, careful to avoid the spray of the water on the sidewalk. "I will set towels on the porch in a minute, please do not come in the house soaking wet."

"Ahh, you're no fun princess." Derek mocked, to which Emily just shook her head, smiling.

"Can we eat outside?" Nora shouted from across the lawn.

"Sure, I suppose I can make that happen."

Emily brought some sandwiches and watermelon outside after getting Adam down for nap. When Derek and Nora made their way over to the porch to eat, both were soaked from head to toe but smiling brightly.

That night, they settled in for a movie and for the first time, Nora crawled into Derek's lap instead of Emily's. She fell asleep halfway through, exhausted from the day's events but Derek didn't move her, relishing in the moment. Emily smiled at him and patted his knee, knowing how much this meant to him. He'd been a good sport about Nora preferring Emily, and he understood why she did, but his heart soared every time she choose him instead.


	4. Chapter 4

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Adam, happy birthday to you!" Everyone sung in chorus.

Derek and Emily were on either side of where Adam sat perched in his highchair, Emily holding a single strawberry shortbread cupcake far enough out so Adam couldn't touch the lit candle.

"Do you want to blow out the candle for him, Nora?" Derek asked and Nora eagerly complied. Emily then took out the candle out and set the cupcake down for Adam who immediately dug his hands into the whipped cream cheese frosting on top. Everyone laughed when Adam clapped after taking his first bite, the frosting on his hands splattering in the process.

"And _that_ is why we did this outside." Emily said pointedly to Derek, who had questioned why Emily was adamant about doing this on the back porch.

"Now that the birthday boy is having his cake, time for the rest of us to have some!" Penelope cheered as she carried out a large trifle bowl with strawberry shortcake for the rest of us. Tara, who Emily had met for the first time today, moved to help pass out the portions once Penelope had dished. Soon, the BAU team and their respective families were happily munching on the summery dessert.

Jack and Henry chased Nora and Claire around the backyard for most of the afternoon. Adam did his best to keep up with the big kids, but as a new walker, the slight unevenness of the grassy yard posed difficult to handle on his own. Garcia happily lent her hand for Adam to balance and walked around with him while the rest of the adults looked on from the porch. Derek grilled hotdogs and burgers for dinner and the crew moved to sit around the fire pit, eating, laughing and talking well into the evening.

When the birthday boy finally tuckered out in Emily's arms, they called it a night. Everyone bid the family of four goodbye, leaving Derek and Emily to put the kids to bed. Once Emily had Adam settled in his room, she went downstairs to finish cleaning up. Derek found her at the sink a few minutes later, rinsing dishes before loading them in the dishwasher.

"If there was such a thing as a perfect day, I think today was it." Derek said, coming up behind Emily and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"It was pretty great, definitely top three."

"Oh? Just top three. What may I ask tops it?"

"Well, our wedding day for one…" Emily trailed off on a gasp as Derek started trailing kisses up her neck, paying extra attention to her pulse point. She tilted her head to give him better access.

"That was a pretty spectacular day. What else?"

"Well, this next one is a weekend, not a day." Emily starts, turning in his arms and draping her own over his shoulders. "You remember our trip to Cape Cod last summer."

"Ooh, now that was a good weekend. In fact, I think we should relive some of the better parts now." Derek leaned in for a kiss, their lips meeting eagerly and mouths opening almost instantly. He dropped his hands lower, lightly squeezing Emily's ass and making her moan into the kiss.

"Come on, Mr. Morgan. Let's go finish this in bedroom." Emily took his hand and led him out of the kitchen. They made love late into the night, bodies tangling in a familiar dance until they were both sated and spent. As they curled up together afterward, Emily couldn't help but smile at the love she had for Derek and the life they were making together.

**####**

"Where on earth are you going dressed like that?" Emily chuckled as Derek walked into the kitchen the next morning in baggy black sweats and a hoodie with an FBI baseball cap and sunglasses on.

"I'm going to put Reid and Garcia through the wringer with this FIT test." He smirked.

Emily shook her head. "They're going to kill you when they find out you know."

"That's why I'm not going to tell them until I'm through. I'm just surprised that P didn't just doctor the paperwork herself." Derek said as he finished pouring coffee into a to-go mug. Adam laughed from where he was eating blueberries in his highchair as if he was in on Derek's little joke and Derek smiled, bending down to drop a kiss to his head. "Good morning, little man. Where is your big sister, huh? Is she still sleeping?"

"I went and checked on her a little bit ago, she must be tuckered out." Emily said. "We all had a full day yesterday and she didn't have her quiet time."

"True. Ok, I'm off to the track. I'll be back in a couple hours."

"Don't run them too hard, coach." Emily said as he pecked her cheek on his way out.

**####**

Emily finished making some banana pancakes with peanut butter for Adam and was in the middle of making some for herself when she heard Nora coming down the stairs. "Good morning, sleepy head." Emily greeted as Nora came around the kitchen island, clutching her stuffed dog and a small blanket tightly.

Nora didn't reply, simply raised her arms to Emily and laid her head against her chest when Emily picked her up. Emily immediately noticed the heat radiating off her body and her sweaty blonde locks sticking to her brow.

"Hey…" Emily spoke softly as she raised a hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling ok, sweetie?" Nora shook her head. "What doesn't feel good?"

"Tummy." Nora murmured.

"You feel a little warm, baby. I'm going to go get the thermometer, do you want to lay down on the couch?" She nodded, so Emily turned off the griddle and carried her to the couch in the living room, setting her down before going to find the thermometer.

Sure enough, Nora did have a slight fever of 100.1˚F. Emily got her some water and made her toast, which Nora only ate a few bites of, and 20 minutes later she was throwing those few bites up. Emily's heart broke as Nora cried weakly, emptying the contents of her stomach into a bucket. She was also grateful that Adam was content in his playpen while she tended to Nora. Knowing this was going to be a long day, she called Derek.

"Hey, princess. What's up?" He answered, his voice light and playful and she knew immediately he was having fun with Reid and Garcia.

"I need a favor. Nora's not feeling good, can you pick up some Pedialyte popsicles on the way home? Maybe some applesauce, too. We're almost out."

"Of course, I'll leave now."

"You don't have to; I don't think she's going to want to eat for a while but I'm going to see if she can keep some Gatorade down."

"It's ok, I think Reid and Garcia are about to collapse anyway."

"I told you to go easy on them." Emily chuckled. "Alright, I got to go. See you soon."

**####**

Nora was pretty miserable for the rest of the day. She didn't eat much but she continually snacked on the popsicles Derek brought home, which helped keep her hydrated. Emily was grateful that Derek was home for the weekend so one of them could focus on Nora and the other on Adam. Nora's fever was finally starting to go down by evening, but the poor girl was exhausted.

That night, after putting Adam to bed, Derek found his girls on the couch, Emily rubbing circles on Nora's back as she curled up in her lap.

"You want me to take her?" Derek asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think she's finally asleep." Derek eased Nora out of Emily's lap as carefully as possible but the movement woke her.

"No, want mama. Mama." Nora cried sleepily. Emily eyes widened at Nora's words. She'd never called her mama before, or any variation of the word, not that she'd ever expect her to, especially not this soon. Rationally her mind knew it was just because Nora was exhausted and sick, but she couldn't help her heart soaring at the term.

She immediately stood up, taking Nora back into her arms and holding her close. "I'm here, sweet girl. I'm right here."

Derek smiled and squeezed Emily's arm as he moved to pass them. "I'll get her pillows. She can sleep in with us tonight."

"Thank you." Emily whispered as she rocked side to side on her heels, Nora laying her head back into the crook of Emily's neck.

Nora was feeling a little better when she woke up the next morning and by mid-afternoon, she was able to keep some oyster crackers and bananas down. But much to Emily's surprise, even as Nora started to feel better, the term 'mama' stuck. And slowly, over the next week, Derek became daddy.

Neither Derek nor Emily knew what exactly had changed in the little girl's mind, but they were both secretly elated at their new names. Emily had had a moment of panic, since they were still a few months out from their adoption hearing, fearful of this all being taken away. When they talked to their case worker however, she said the fact that Nora was so comfortable was a good sign and that there was nothing to indicate the hearing would go any way but positive come December.


	5. Chapter 5

The Tuesday following Thanksgiving found Derek and Emily in family court, with Nora in Derek's lap practically buzzing in excitement while Adam slept the time away in Emily's arms. The day was finally here, adoption day. It was 1:52pm precisely when the judge signed the decrees officially making Nora and Adam a part of the Morgan clan. Both Derek and Emily were fighting back tears as they stood for a picture with the judge afterward.

Derek's mom had flown in for the occasion, as well as Maddie, Nora and Adam's old nanny. While Derek had taken the day off work, the rest of the BAU team was out of state but promised a celebration as soon as they were back. As the family of four left the courtroom, with Derek's mom and Maddie following behind, they felt like they were walking on air.

"Daddy, can we go ice skating now?" Nora asked.

"I think that sounds like a great idea. We'll have to go home and change though, first. I don't think you want to learn how to ice skate in your dress."

Nora frowned. "But Rapunzel wore a dress."

Derek laughed. They'd taken Nora to see Disney on Ice the weekend before and every day since she'd been asking to learn how to skate. "She did, you're right but she's been skating for a very long time. But this will be your first time and you might fall, so you'll want to wear pants."

"Oh…" She paused, seeming to think hard on Derek's words before shrugging and saying _ok_.

Back at the house, everyone changed into some warmer, more comfortable clothes. Derek's mom offered to stay behind with Adam, who was still sleeping and wouldn't be able to skate anyway. Emily was reluctant at first, not wanting to part from either of the kids on their adoption day, but realistically it made sense. With that, the rest of the crew headed off to Canal Park, one of the slightly less crowded outdoor skating rinks in the city.

Nora clung tightly to both Derek and Emily's hands as Maddie skated backwards ahead of them, smiling and cheering Nora on. After a few laps around the rink, Nora was feeling confident enough to let go of Derek's hand, so he spun around to skate backwards like Maddie. For a split second on the straightaway, it worked, but when he came to the next bend, he lost his balance and tumbled backwards, falling flat on his ass.

Nora burst into laughter as Emily quickly diverted Nora and herself to avoid hitting him. "Daddy, you're silly!" She yelled as they skated past.

Derek was on his feet quickly, catching up to them and crouching down behind Nora, his hands reaching out to tickle her sides. "I'm silly, huh? I think you're silly, miss Nora Jean."

"Daddy! Daddy stop." Derek let up immediately, Nora laughing so hard she was gasping for air.

He kissed her head then, before taking her free hand again and skating alongside her. "I love you, sweet girl."

They skated for nearly an hour, Emily switching out with Maddie so she and Derek could skate together and watch Nora from a distance. When Nora's cheeks and nose started to turn a rosy pink from the windchill they decided to call it quits. They made a batch of hot cocoa when they got home to warm back up, Nora recounting the entire skating adventure to Derek's mom, who she referred to as Grams.

That night, neither Derek nor Emily could keep the smiles off their faces when they finally crawled into bed. They had both lingered in the doorways of the kids' rooms for far longer than usual, breathing easy in the fact that they were there to stay, no more lingering doubts.

"We have two kids." Emily whispered into Derek's chest, feeling the vibrations of his chuckling a moment later.

"We've had two kids for months now."

"Yeah, but now they're really ours." Emily smiled, lifting her head to look at him.

"That they are." Derek nodded, leaning forward to kiss her softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Emily replied, pecking his chest before laying her head back down.

**#### **

"Thank you for driving me, I really wouldn't have minded getting a cab." Maddie said as neared they neared the airport.

"Nonsense, we're so glad you were able to come for the hearing. Nora and Adam adore you and you're really the last connection they have left from New Jersey." Emily replied as she exited the highway towards Dulles.

"I'm really glad they have you and Derek. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, what happened to their parents, their _whole family_ was horrendous and Trent and Julie were good people but…" Maddie sighed. "I was a full-time college student who also worked as a dance instructor and I saw more of the kids as their nanny than both Trent and Julie combined. They loved the kids but they loved their work even more. Nora and Adam are thriving here and as much as I miss them, I'm so happy for them." Maddie sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye as they pulled up to the departures drop-off.

Emily reached over and hugged her tightly. "Thank you! Derek and I have both been struggling lately with guilt over our joy, so I appreciate your words more than you know. And please know you're welcome to visit anytime; Nora especially has loved having you here."

"I will." She nods, bidding Emily farewell.

**#### **

The rest of December flew by, Derek and Emily in a constant state of bliss as they took in the magic of the holidays through the eyes of their kids. They made cookies, decorated the house and tree, visited with Santa at the mall, and watched a countless number of Christmas movies. On Christmas morning, when Nora woke them up with bouncing energy at 5am, they couldn't help but smile.

The BAU was on stand down the week between Christmas and New Year's, which led to several team family outings, sledding and ice skating. Rossi hosted his annual New Year's Eve party, and that night when Derek and Emily got home, after tucking their already sleeping kids into bed, they had a celebration of their own, reveling in the start of a New Year tangled up in each other.

Little did they know how much that night would change their lives.


	6. Chapter 6

The whole month of January, Derek was in DC a total of 5 days. Emily tried to be understanding; she knew what life was like at the BAU and she didn't want to be like Hailey who'd held a grudge against Aaron for being gone so much, but she was exhausted. Nora's ballet rehearsals had ramped up to 4 nights per week in the lead up to her winter recital which made for busy evenings and Adam had come down with a double ear infection that had him, understandably, fussier and clingier than normal. Emily was running on fumes by the time Derek made it home from the latest case on the second day of February.

"I'm home!" Derek greeted as he walked in the door that evening. It was getting late, already a few minutes past the kid's bedtime, but Derek had texted and asked if Emily could keep them up, wanting to see them off to bed.

"Daddy!" Nora sprung up off the couch to meet him.

"Hi munchkin!" Derek held out his arms and lifted her into the air when she reached him before pulling her in for a tight hug. Nora wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly. "Oh, I missed you so much." He said, kissing the top of her head, her hair still wet from bath time.

As he looked into the living room, he noticed Adam asleep in Emily's lap. "I tried." She said sympathetically, when she noticed his gaze.

"It's ok. I know it's late." He smiled softly.

"I'm going to go put him down, then." Emily stood from the couch and made her way over to Derek so he could kiss Adam goodnight. When she then started to move towards the stairs, Derek grabbed her arm lightly.

"Hey, are you ok?" He asked gently.

"I'm fine," Emily nodded. "Just tired."

Derek frowned, not buying it, and Emily could tell he was about to say something else but before he got a chance Nora asked if he could read her bedtime stories now.

"She's been looking forward to you doing the voices for Fortunately, the Milk." Emily said, referring to the chapter book Derek had started with her over a month ago now. Nora hadn't let Emily continue it while he was gone, saying Daddy did the voices better, and frankly she couldn't disagree.

As soon as Derek finished reading to Nora that night, he made his way down to the master bedroom to see Emily. He knew this month had been tough on her but the guilt hit hard when he saw her in bed, already asleep. He sighed, going about his nightly routine quickly and crawling in beside her.

**#### **

The sound of retching woke Derek the next morning. He immediately noticed Emily's side of the bed empty and looked toward the closed door of their master bath. Jumping out of bed he went to open the door but it was locked, so he knocked gently.

"Em, baby are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Her voice called from the other side of the door. A second later he heard the toilet flush and the door opened. Derek followed her to the sink where she rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth, rubbing her back and looking more than a little concerned.

"Have you been sick for a while?" He asked softly as she met his eyes in the mirror.

Emily shook her head. "The last couple of days. It's just been a stressful month and it's finally catching up to me."

Derek hated that she was so stressed she was physically ill. "I'm so sorry, love. I know me being gone hasn't been easy on you, but you have me for a full week now. Let me take some of that stress of your plate. You deserve a break."

Emily nodded and let herself sink into Derek's arms. "I'm glad your home." She whispered.

**####**

Derek held true to his word. He took over almost every aspect of care for the kids, giving Emily time to rest but as the week progressed, she was still not well. She tried to play off the tiredness, claiming that was just the life of a mother but she couldn't hide the nausea.

After finding her in the bathroom during the kids' nap & quiet time, having clearly thrown up again, Derek couldn't help but voice the thought in his head.

"Em, do you think you could be pregnant?" He asked softly as he crouched down beside her, handing her a cup of water.

Emily whipped her head towards him. "No. No way." She said firmly.

Derek sighed. "Are you saying that because you know you aren't or because you don't want to face the possibility you might be."

"I have an IUD Derek, you know that."

"I do but nothing is 100% effective. Even if you're not, Emily, please go see a doctor. You're clearly not getting any better."

Emily huffed out a breath but acquiesced and was able to schedule an appointment for the next day.

**#### **

Derek had wanted to go with Emily to her appointment but it was easier for him to just stay home with Adam. As two hours turned into three, however, and Emily still had yet to return, he really started to worry.

He texted her, asking if everything was ok. When she didn't respond, he called but she didn't answer. He tried not to panic but it wasn't like her, so he used his resources and called Garcia.

"What's up, sugar?" Penelope answered.

"Hey! I have a favor to ask… can you track Emily's phone?"

"Umm, sure, just give me a second. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, we've just been out and about today and must've left it somewhere and she doesn't have the Find My iPhone app on." Derek tried to sound casual in his lie but he knew Penelope would see right through it.

"She's at St. Matthew's." Penelope informed, acknowledging she knew it wasn't just her phone but thankfully not pressing the topic… yet.

"Thanks, baby girl." Derek hung up and immediately called their neighbors across the street. They had two little girls, one a year older than Nora and the other a year older than Adam. The mom worked part time as a substitute, staying home with the younger girl on her days off and Derek hoped she was there today. She was, and ten minutes later Derek was thanking her profusely as she welcomed Adam into the house to play.

**####**

She was pregnant. That was the only thought Derek had the whole drive to the church. It was a feeling he hadn't been able to shake and when Penelope told him Emily was at St. Matthew's, it only confirmed the feeling. St. Matthew's was where Emily had ended up after the exorcism case, blaming herself for the death of her friend, believing that had it not been for her poor decisions all those years ago in Italy that he would still be alive.

Sure enough, when Derek pulled up to the church, Emily was sitting off to the side of the front steps. He walked over and sat beside her.

"Penelope?" She asked, her first acknowledgement of his presence as she continued staring straight ahead.

"Yeah."

"Where's Adam?"

"He's with the Holliman's."

Emily was quiet for another moment before confirming his suspicions. "I'm pregnant."

Derek debated for a split second about what to say before settling on the two words he wanted her to know most. "I'm here."

Emily's resolve crumbled with those words and she buried her face into Derek's shoulder. "Derek, I don't know if I can do this."

"I'll support you in whatever you want to do, Emily. You mean more to me than anything and if you don't want this…" His voice trailed off.

"I won't terminate. As much as I'm nervous about losing this baby, I could never do that again. But I don't know if my heart can handle another loss." She cried.

"What did the doctor say?"

"I'm 5 weeks along. She removed the IUD, so these next 24 hours are crucial. I have another ultrasound in a few days but if I make it through without miscarrying then the next hurdle is getting through the first trimester."

Derek kissed the top of her head as he whispered reassuringly. "I'll be there with you every step of the way, Em. I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Mainly just a fluff chapter but I wanted to get one more in before I take a few week hiatus to finish the rest of the semester.

As always, I do not own CM or any of the characters, storyline, etc.

* * *

The ambassador was the last person Emily Prentiss wanted to speak to, let alone set up a meeting with. When Emily had returned from the dead nearly five years ago, her mother had been less than happy about being kept in the dark. You'd think she could get over her displeasure, having her daughter back and all, but no. At the time, Emily decided she couldn't care less. Her priority was on repairing her relationships with the team and focusing on the new steps her and Derek were taking. She didn't really need anything from her mother anyway; JJ had been the one to save anything important from Emily's apartment and had unfrozen all of her bank accounts upon her return.

However, there was one thing that the ambassador had been put back in charge of after Emily's "death." Her trust fund. Emily hadn't needed it for the past few years. In fact, the only times she'd touched it in her life were for college and the brownstone in Dupont Circle. Despite everyone's thoughts, she did well on her own without it. But with a new baby on the way, Derek and Emily decided they wanted a bigger place, something with at least one more bedroom and an office space.

When they reflected on January, Derek and Emily also made some big decisions regarding work. Derek wanted to be home more often but he also valued his work and wasn't ready to give it up. He met with Hotch and they came up with a compromise. Derek would be in the field for all local cases but would otherwise stay at Quantico with Garcia and the BAU would hire an additional field agent. Emily also recognized that while she loved being home with the kids, she missed having something outside of motherhood. To scratch the itch, she signed on to teach at the academy two days a week starting the following spring semester, after the baby was born, and in the meantime, she would start working a contracted 10 hours per week from home on consultations for the BAU.

With the hunt for a new house, Emily and Derek decided it was finally time to open that trust fund back up. They could afford it on their own but it would take a dent out of their savings and they decided they didn't want to do that when they didn't have to. So, Emily called her mother.

"Emily." The ambassador's voice was flat as she answered.

"Hello, mother. How are you doing?" Emily asked, trying to sound pleasant and genuinely interested.

"I'm doing fine, thank you. But we both know you didn't call to check up on me. What can I do for you?"

Straight to the point as usual, Emily thought. "I'd like to set up an appointment with you, Mother."

"Ah, I assume this is about the trust fund."

"How did you know?" Emily asks, knowing they haven't spoken in years.

"Well it's the only reason you really have to contact me. I always suspected we'd have this meeting once you came back, I just didn't expect it to take years. I'll call Louis and have him set up a time - he'll contact you with the details."

"Thank you." Emily replied.

**####**

The following Saturday morning, Emily met her mother at the bank while Derek took the kids to the park across the street. It was quick and painless, really just a matter of signing a few papers. Emily expected her mother to duck out immediately after but to Emily's surprise, she didn't.

"So, you're a mother now?" Elizabeth asked as she and Emily walked out the building. Emily was shocked by her question. She'd never mentioned the kids.

"Uh, yes. We officially adopted two children in December, though they've been with us since summer."

"I heard you met them on a case."

Emily stopped walking when her mother said that. "Are you keeping tabs on us?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Look, I know I didn't handle it well when you first came back. You were right to stop giving me details about your life, I didn't deserve it based on the way I reacted but it doesn't mean I don't care. You_ are _my daughter."

Emily was silent for a moment, processing her mother's words, then inhaled deeply and took a chance. "They're across the street with Derek. Would you like to meet them?"

Elizabeth looked surprise, but smiled slightly. "That would be nice."

"Alright." Emily started walking again, leading her mother across the street to the park. She spotted Derek sitting on a bench while Adam and Nora ran around on the lawn in front of him.

Nora saw Emily approaching and ran to her. "Mama! You're back." Emily crouched to catch Nora in a hug before lifting her up.

"Hi baby." Emily smiled, kissing her brow. "Are you having fun with Adam and daddy?"

Nora nodded and turned to Elizabeth. "Mama, who is that?"

"Nora, this is my mom." Emily introduced.

"Hello, Nora. It's nice to meet you." Elizabeth reached out a hand which Nora took tentatively, shaking it as she looked to Emily, unsure of what was happening.

"Should we go introduce her to your little brother?"

Nora nodded as she leaned further into Emily, suddenly shy. Derek had noticed the interaction and approached the three ladies with Adam in his arms.

"Ambassador, it's a pleasure to see you, again." Derek greeted.

"Agent Morgan." Elizabeth shook his hand. "And this must be Adam."

"Yes. Can you say hi, buddy?"

"Hi!" Adam smiled and waved, far more outgoing than his big sister and not intimidated by a new face.

"Well, hello." Elizabeth said before looking to Emily with an almost sad smile on her face. "You have a beautiful family, Emily."

Emily didn't know what to think about this woman in front of her, acting so unlike her mother, so she said the only thing she could. "Thank you."

**####**

"Who was that woman?" Derek asked Emily once they were home and plopped down on the couch.

"I have no idea." Emily shook her head. "I'm not sure what to think about it but she was… pleasant. At least as pleasant as Elizabeth Prentiss can be. I can't believe she's been keeping tabs on us."

"In her own strange way, I think it's her way of showing she cares."

"That's what she said. Oh well, what matters is that we got the account back, so let the house hunt commence."

"I can't wait." Derek smiled. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Derek spoke again. "I forgot to tell you, we FaceTimed with Maddie while you were in the bank. She shared some pretty interesting news."

"Oh?" Emily raised her brow in curiosity.

"You know how she's been applying to master's programs for public health?" Emily nodded. "Well, it turns out she applied to John Hopkins on a limb and she got it. Her old roommate from Colombia also got in for one of their med programs and they both start in June. She's moving to Baltimore mid-May."

"Shut the front door. Did you tell her we'll be looking for someone to watch the kids a few hours a week?"

"Not yet. I know we aren't telling people about the pregnancy yet and I didn't know how to mention it without also mentioning the baby."

Emily smiled, rubbing a hand to her abdomen. It had just recently started to swell but Emily had worn a loose blouse today to ensure her mother didn't notice. "Next week."

"Hmm?" Derek asked, unsure what she was talking about.

"We can start telling people next week, once we get to 12 weeks. It'll be the farthest we've made it and it's practically the end of the first trimester."

"Yeah?" He confirms excitedly. Emily nods and Derek leans in for a quick kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Emily replied, grinning as they settled back into the couch to enjoying some time together while the kids were napping and having some quiet time.


	8. Chapter 8

"Good morning, Nora Jean." Emily greeted as Nora rounded the corner into the living room where Emily was sipping a mug of tea.

"Hi, mommy." She said, her voice still groggy from sleep. Nora climbed up on the couch and scooted up beside Emily.

"You know I was thinking, it's almost your birthday. Do you know what kind of party you might want to have this year?" Emily asked as she ran her fingers through Nora's dirty blonde locks. They were a little more than three weeks out from her birthday and she wanted to start planning a small get together.

Nora looked up at Emily, eyes wide and shook her head. "No party."

Emily furrowed her brow. "You don't want a party?" Nora shook her head even more vehemently. "Ok, well we don't have to. What about a special cake? Should we get red velvet?" Emily asked, knowing it was her favorite.

"I don't want cake. No cake. No party. No birthday." Nora's eyes started to tear up and she spoke sternly. Emily was taken aback by the firmness in her voice and the clear emotion around the subject.

"Sweetie, why not? What's wrong?" Emily asked softly, rubbing circles across Nora's back in an attempt to soothe her.

"Last time I had a birthday, mommy and daddy went away. If I don't have a birthday, you and daddy won't go away." Nora cried, burying her face into Emily's chest.

"Oh, sweet girl." Emily held her close, rocking back and forth and murmuring reassurances. She felt like an idiot for not considering this sooner. Nora's birthday had been less than a week before her parents were killed and she never thought about how the little girl might connect the events.

Derek found them a few minutes later, having arrived home from a run he'd taken with Adam in the stroller. His face immediately showed concern when he saw Nora, clearly distraught. "What's wrong?" He mouthed to Emily as he set Adam down to play.

Emily shook her head lightly and mouthed back "later."

While Nora was having quiet time that afternoon and Adam was down for nap, Derek found Emily in the kitchen. "So, what happened this morning?" He asked.

Emily sighed and told him about her conversation with Nora and their little girl's reaction. "I think she needs to see Dr. Edwards again. She seemed ok talking with her this past summer and it's clear there are still some unresolved topics." Nora had seen Dr. Edwards, a child psychologist at Quantico, for the first three months the kids were in DC. She stopped once she seemed relatively settled with Derek and Emily but now Emily was thinking that was a mistake.

Derek nodded in agreement. "I'll stop by her office on Monday and get something set up."

"Thank you."

**####**

Nora met with Dr. Edwards the following week and they were able to work through the birthday dilemma with "relative ease" according to the doctor. They also set up monthly appointments for Nora per Dr. Edwards recommendations. All things considered, Nora had adjusted spectacularly to life in DC with Derek and Emily but those meetings couldn't hurt with the little things that came up now and then.

So, her birthday party was on. It ended up being a relatively small affair. Everyone from the BAU came with their families, as well as the two families on the cul-de-sac who also had kids that Nora had grown close to. Nora also invited three girls from ballet, the Lancaster sisters. Derek and Emily hadn't told Nora yet but the new house they put a bid on was in the same neighborhood as the Lancaster's and Emily was excited at the prospect of Nora still having friends close by.

That evening, after the kids were put to bed, Emily found Derek setting up a blanket and pillows in front of the fireplace. "What's this?" Emily asked as she walked into the living room.

"This is us time." He replied, reaching a hand out to her, which she took. He pulled her down to sit beside him and Emily immediately smiled at the warmth radiating from the fire. It wasn't overly cold out but it had started to rain and a fire seemed like the perfect thing.

"Mm, I love us time. We haven't gotten enough lately." Emily said, relaxing into Derek's side.

"Have I told you how amazing you looked in that dress today. You're really starting to show."

"I might've noticed." Emily smirked; she certainly hadn't missed Derek eyeing her during the party. "You ready to find out whether little baby Morgan is a boy or girl?" She asked.

"Four more days – I can't wait." Derek smiled, bringing a hand up to caress her bump. He knew it would be a few weeks before he could feel anything but Emily had mentioned feelings some flutters and he delighted in the knowledge of their little one growing safe and sound inside of her.

They sat there for a few moments in comfortable silence, enjoying one another's presence, before Derek's hand began to wander. His fingers teased beneath the fabric of Emily's satin cami before dipping below the hem of her shorts. Emily let out a low moan at the feel of his touch and turned herself, moving to straddle his waist. Derek grinned as she linked her arms around his neck, her growing belly pressing against his abdomen.

He reached up and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, whispering how beautiful she was. Emily smiled brightly and leaned in, brushing her lips over his in a teasing kiss before attaching their lips fully, allowing the kiss to deepen. Their tongues slid together as his hands settled on her hips. For a few long moments they indulged in each other, breaking apart only when oxygen became necessary. Just as Derek was about to suggest they move things to the bedroom, there was a large crack of thunder and he knew what would follow. Sure enough, a second later he heard Nora's voice calling fearfully for "mama."

Emily sighed, leaning back in his lap and giving him a sad smile. "I'm sorry," she whispered, pecking his lips before standing up.

"It's ok. The kids come first. I'll turn off the fire and meet you guys in the bedroom." He said, knowing Nora would be sleeping with them tonight. Adam would sleep like a log through anything, but Nora was terrified of thunderstorms, especially when the wind picked up as it was starting to do that night. He couldn't blame her, really, he remembered being scared of them as a child too before realizing he loved watching them.

A few minutes later Emily came back downstairs with Nora in her arms. They crawled under the covers of their big bed, Nora in the middle clinging tightly to Emily's nightshirt as she curled into her as best she could. Emily hummed a tune softly, an old Parisian lullaby she learned from one of her nannies, and Derek rubbed a soothing hand across Nora's back as he admired for the millionth time the bond his girls had. When Nora finally drifted back to sleep, Emily looked up at Derek.

"I'll call Penelope or Maddie and see if one of them can babysit sometime soon. The kids might come first at times but you're just as important to me and I want more us time, especially before the baby comes." She whispered.

"We'll make time, I promise."

"I love you." Emily replied, her words breaking off on a yawn.

"I love you, too." He smiled softly. "Now let's get some rest."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Pure, unadulterated fluff. As always, I own none of the characters or content of CM.

* * *

"Is it time yet, daddy?" Nora asked, practically bouncing in her seat at the table. She'd wolfed down her waffles for breakfast, eager to get a start on the day.

"Almost, pumpkin." Derek replied, laughing at Nora's large sigh. "I just need to pack a few more things in the bag and we'll be ready. Why don't you go get your shoes on?"

"I already _have_ them on." Nora said, lifting her legs in the air to reveal the navy sandals already strapped on.

"Alright then, sweet girl. You'll just have to wait a minute." Derek moved about quickly, packing sunscreen, water bottles and some snacks for their daddy-daughter outing. They were going to a paint and pottery place for kids, followed by lunch at the park. Just as he zipped up the backpack, Emily rounded the corner into the kitchen with Adam on her hip.

"Derek have you seen," her voice cut off as she spotted the diaper bag backpack on the counter. "Oh, you're taking that with you?" She frowned.

"Um, yeah. Is that ok?" Derek cringed slightly, not thinking about Emily also wanting to use the bag.

"It's fine, I'll find another bag to use." Emily replied before turning towards Nora. "Are you excited for your day with daddy?"

"Mmhmm! Daddy said we're going to go paint playdough and then it goes in a big fire and then in a few days we can go pick it up and bring it home." Nora spoke at a speed that could rival Penelope's at times, making Emily laugh.

"Clay, sweetie, not playdough. And I can't wait to see what you make." Emily smiled, brushing her free hand over one of Nora's pigtails.

"Where are you and Adam going?" She asked.

"We're going to the zoo. I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time at the fox habitat once we find it, won't we buddy?" Emily asked, looking down at the little boy in her arms.

Adam giggled and nodded. "Mist fox," he said, lifting the stuffed fox he carried with him everywhere since Derek bought it for him a week ago. They'd recently watched Fantastic Mr. Fox and the animal quickly became Adam's new favorite.

"Well," Derek started, rounding the corner of the island and coming up behind Nora. "Are you ready, munchkin?" He asked, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Ready!" Nora exclaimed, hopping off the seat and giving Emily a quick hug before running towards the door. Derek laughed, pecking Emily's lips and rustling his fingers in Adam's hair before bidding them farewell.

**#### **

Derek had questioned having individual dates with the kids when Emily first proposed the idea, questioning why they couldn't just have a family day, but as the day progressed he found himself loving the one-on-one time with Nora.

At the paint and pottery place, Nora had chosen snowflake to paint, which Derek thought an interesting choice considering it was mid-June but said nothing of it. Instead, when they brought the now painted piece up to be glazed and fired, it was an employee who sweetly inquired about the choice.

"It's for my daddy." Nora had responded when asked why she chose the snowflake. "Because he's like Frozone; he helps catch the bad guys." Derek had been baffled by her response, never even considering that could be the reason but was honored, nonetheless.

After stopping for lunch, they were off to the park for the remainder of their day out. The two kicked around a soccer ball for a bit, followed by a solid half hour of Derek pushing Nora on the swing. He made a note to teach her how to kick her legs soon but for now would relish in her still being little enough to ask for help, knowing her independence was quickly growing. Derek finally settled on one of the outer benches, letting Nora run free around the playground as he watched closely.

A while later, Derek felt like he was having a mini heart attack as he lost sight of Nora. He jumped to his feet, his eyes scanning the surroundings as the agent in him immediately thought of all the possible worst-case scenarios. He let out a breath when he spotted her by a tree a ways behind the swings. Running over, he opened his mouth to scold her for running off when he saw something tiny and black in her hands.

"Nora, what is that?" He asked, noticing fur the closer he got.

"It's a kitten, daddy!" She informed with a wide smile. Sure enough, it was a little black kitten. Derek looked around for any other cats nearby or someone who might be the owner. "Can I keep it?" Nora's question drew his attention back to his little girl and the bundle of fur in her arms.

"I don't know, sweetie. We need to see if it belongs to anyone first."

"But it was just laying by the tree all alone."

"Is that why you ran over here?" Derek asked, suddenly remembering the panic that led up to this discovery. Nora nodded slowly and Derek could tell she knew what was coming. "You know you aren't supposed to run off like that, Nora Jean. You scared me."

"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to." She frowned.

"I know, baby. I know." Derek sighed, kissing the top of her head. "Let's go back to the playground and see if anyone is missing this little one."

Nora acquiesced with a pout but as they made their way around from person to person, a small smile began to grow on her face with each person who denied ownership or knowledge about the kitten. A few minutes later, they'd talked to everyone around the park and not a single person had laid a claim to the small feline, though several offered.

"We can keep it now, right daddy? Please!" Nora begged, putting on her sweetest face as she looked up to Derek. He couldn't say no.

**#### **

Emily and Adam had spent far longer at the zoo than planned but despite the fact that he was missing his naptime, Emily didn't have the heart to make them leave. Adam had been animated at the zoo, full of wonder and curiosity with each new exhibit they entered.

When she finally led them back to the car late that afternoon, it was no surprise that he conked out the moment they started towards home. Adam was still asleep when they pulled into their driveway, so with the practiced ease of a mother, Emily extracted him from his car seat and carried him inside. His nap didn't last much longer though, as Emily screeched in surprise when she felt something small and furry launch at her foot upon entering the house, waking Adam.

"Derek!" Emily exclaimed when she looked down and saw a tiny kitten attacking the laces of her shoes.

A second later he walked in the entryway. "You're home. How was the zoo?" Derek greeted as if the kitten didn't even exist.

"The zoo was great but I don't remember bringing anything home." Emily replied, gesturing towards the animal at her feet. "What is that?"

"Cat." Adam pointed out sleepily, his timing impeccable as Derek laughed and affirmed Adam's answer. Emily though was not enthused, her raised eyebrow directed towards Derek a silent communication that she needed further explanation. Now.

"Nora found it by a tree at the park. We asked around but nobody claimed ownership and so she asked if we could keep it." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Derek," Emily sighed, setting Adam down. The movement spooked the little cat and Adam giggled, chasing after it.

"I'm sorry, I know I should've asked but I just didn't have the heart to bring it to the pound." Derek said.

Emily rolled her eyes, knowing that was a lie. Derek was much more a dog person than a cat person and he had to know a kitten at a shelter would get adopted in a heartbeat. "You mean our daughter gave you the puppy dog eyes and you couldn't say no."

"Will you forgive me?" Derek asked in his sweetest voice, giving Emily some puppy dog eyes of his own. "Please?" Emily sighed, staring down the hall to the living room where Adam and Nora were both sitting on the floor with the kitten between them.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to be the bad guy and tell them we can't keep it now." Emily replied. "But that means you're in charge of the litter, mister, because pregnant women aren't supposed to be around it. And you need to bring the cat to the vet tomorrow to get checked out."

"Done and done." Derek nodded, cautiously approaching her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as her belly allowed and kissing her brow.

**#### **

The rest of the evening was high energy, the kids chasing Nico around the house until they were practically asleep on their feet. Nico, that was the name Nora had chosen for newest member of the Morgan clan once they determined it was a boy. Despite wanting to be mad at Derek for the impulse decision to keep the cat without asking, Emily had to admit Nico was growing on her.

That night, Derek walked into the master bedroom to find Nico curled up on Emily's shoulder, his little head resting against her neck as she read. "Someone looks comfortable," he remarked. Emily hummed, reaching up a hand to pet her newest pal. "So, am I forgiven yet?"

"I suppose," she replied, trying to hide the smile on her face as Nico nuzzled up closer.


	10. Chapter 10

"Whose idea was it to move at 24 weeks pregnant?" Emily groaned as she struggled to lift yet another box. It wasn't that the box was heavy or that Emily was overly tired, but her bump was now big enough that it was awkward to lift and carry boxes.

"I told you to let me do that." Derek replied as he rushed over to take the box from her.

"I want to be able to contribute." Emily pouted, sitting down on the bench at the end of their bed. They had a week left before they signed on the new house and had a lot to get done in the meantime.

"You are contributing. You're growing our child."

"Not what I meant," Emily scowled. Derek sighed, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, pulling Emily against him. "I hate feeling like an invalid and asking the team to help us when _I_ can't even help." She complained, relaxing into his embrace.

"Did you think JJ was an invalid when she was pregnant with Claire and we helped her and Will move?"

"No, of course not." She replied instantly, shaking her head against his chest.

"And nobody is or will be thinking that of you, I promise." Derek kissed her forehead before standing back up and holding out his hands for her to take. "Come on, let's go shower. We have a doctor's appointment to get to." Emily smiled and allowed him to help her up, the reminder of what their morning held immediately lightening her mood.

**#### **

"Emily?" The nurse calls, prompting Emily and Derek to stand from their chairs in the waiting room and follow her back towards an exam room.

As the nurse was finishing up the usual weight and vitals checks, the doctor walked into the room. "How are you feeling today, mama?" She asked.

"Pretty good for the most part. Some back aches but nothing too bad. Cravings are definitely in full force though; I can't get enough of peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Oh, and ice cream, _all _the ice cream."

Dr. Lowe laughs. "And how is your energy level?"

"Great! The past couple weeks I've felt back to my pre-pregnancy self in that respect."

"Glad to hear it. Alright, should we see how your little one is doing in there?" Both Emily and Derek nod with a smile. Emily lifts her shirt and slightly lowers the waistband of her pants as Dr. Lowe pulls out the gel. It's cold, eliciting a hiss from Emily. It takes a moment for the doctor to find a good angle with the wand but when she does, it's magical.

"I know Derek wasn't able to be here for the anatomy scan but I've got a good view again today if you'd like to know the gender."

Emily looks over at Derek, whose eyes are bright and smile could power a 100-watt bulb. Turning back to Dr. Lowe, Emily nods affirmatively.

"Alright," Dr. Lowe moves the wand just slightly and takes a few screenshots before turning back to Emily and Derek. "Congratulations, you're having a girl."

"A girl," Emily whispers in awe. She turns back to Derek again whose smile has grown impossibly larger.

"A girl," he relays, leaning down and meeting Emily's lips for a brief kiss. As they part, Emily feels a series of kicks to her left side and turns back to the screen, sure enough able to see her daughter moving her legs.

Dr. Lowe pauses the screen and wipes off the gel. "I'll give you two a moment while I go print some copies of the ultrasound. How many would you like?"

"Four please." Emily replies as she straightens her clothes back up.

**#### **

"So, I know you'd have been happy regardless, but how do you feel about a little girl?" Emily inquires on the drive home.

"I'm excited!" Derek replies with a smile, but Emily can tell by his tone of voice there's more to it.

"Uh huh and what else?" She presses when he says nothing more.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Derek don't be coy. We've been married for four years and I've known you for a decade; I know when you're not giving me the full story."

Derek sighs. "I… I just don't want to sound petty or jealous or unloving." Emily places a hand on his knee and squeezes, silently encouraging him to go on. "I wanted it to be a girl," he finally starts. "I love Nora and Adam more than anything, you know that, but they're both mama's kiddos, especially Nora. And I know that's because of the bond you created with her back in New Jersey and don't get me wrong, I love seeing the two of you together but I won't lie and say I'm not jealous at times. I guess, I was secretly hoping this little one would be a daddy's girl."

"Wishing for that doesn't make you a bad parent, Derek. You're an amazing father!" Emily replies, attempting to assuage the guilt she can see in his face. "Besides, Nora may be a mama's girl now but she's bound to hate me in her teenage years and you'll become her best friend."

Derek laughs at that, taking the hand that was on his knee and pecking the back of it before resting their now joined hands on the console. "Thank you, baby."

"Always. I love you," Emily states softly, smiling.

**#### **

When they pull into their driveway 10 minutes later, Emily is surprised by the figure she sees sitting on their porch. Derek gives her a look before they exit the car and Emily merely shrugs her shoulders.

Joseph Prentiss stands as Emily makes her way back around to the porch. "Dad. What are you doing here?" Emily asks.

"I'm sorry to drop by unannounced. Can we talk?" Joseph asks, standing from the steps.

"Of course, come on in." Emily invites, motioning for him to follow Derek, who now has the front door unlocked.

"Are the kids here?" He asks as they move indoors.

"No, Penelope offered to take them last night so we could get some uninterrupted packing done. We'll pick them up after lunch. So, what brings you by dad? It's not like you to just show up." Emily inquired.

"I'm afraid I have some news." Joseph said.

"Why don't you two head to the living room while I go get some drinks." Derek instructed, sensing the serious nature of the conversation.

Joseph Prentiss nodded, following his daughter to the living room and settling on a chair across from her while she made herself comfortable on the couch. "I won't beat around the bush." He sighed. "Your mother has been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to both her lungs & liver." Emily's jaw dropped at his words, unable to wrap her mind around the words her father had just spoken. "She'll be having surgery on Monday before starting chemotherapy and then hopefully radiation after that."

"I… I don't know what…" Emily was speechless and could only stare up at Derek who had made his way into the room carrying a tray of lemonade. Derek set the drinks down and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her.

Derek, who had been listening in on the conversation from the kitchen, swallowed hard before looking at his father-in-law and asking the hard question. "What's the prognosis?"

Joseph pursed his lips, looking sadly to Emily before returning eye contact with Derek and replying. "The doctors estimate 12-14 months."

The room was silent for a moment before Emily finally found her voice. "Why are _you_ telling me instead of her?"

Joseph sighed. He'd been anticipating that question. "Your mother didn't want to tell you, to be honest. She loves you, but you and I both know she's never really known how to show that. You've never been close and she didn't want you to feel pressured into changing or bettering your relationship simply because she's sick."

"So, she doesn't know you're here?"

"No." Her father confirmed.

Emily took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions as best she could. Joseph stayed for another half hour, the three of them discussing more in depth how the Ambassador's diagnosis came about and what her treatment plan looked like. Before her father left, Emily told him she'd be by tomorrow to see her mother but that she needed the rest of the evening to process.

When Derek returned to the living room after seeing his father-in-law out, Emily was leaning back against the couch, hands held over her face. "I can call Penelope and ask her to keep the kids another night. You know she'd understand and be more than willing."

Emily shook her head, dropping her hands to her lap. "No, I want them home."

**#### **

Emily was quiet for the rest of the evening, barring her interactions with the kids which were still as lively and loving as usual. She had a thousand different thoughts and emotions running through her mind.

Sunday morning found Emily in bed, unable to sleep, staring at the ceiling. It was still early but she could tell by the faint light coming through the windows that the alarm clock would probably be going off soon. Suddenly, she was startled from her thoughts by Derek's voice. "You don't have to go, you know."

Turning to face him, she smiled softly but shook her head. "No, I have to do this."

"Ok," He replies softly. "Just know I'm here if and when you need anything."

Emily smirked, shifting to prop herself up on her elbow. "You could distract me."

"Oh?" Derek raised an eyebrow. "And how might I do that?" He asked, even as he lifted a hand to her skin, fingers tracing her collarbone before moving down to her breasts and squeezing lightly.

"Just keep doing that." Emily replied breathily. Derek continued his ministrations for a couple minutes, touching, kissing and teasing. While Emily appreciated he was taking her request for a distraction to heart, she was going to lose her mind if he didn't speed things up. She tugged him upwards, pushing him over onto his back and took control, straddling his body while leaning in for a deep kiss.

As they pulled apart for air, Derek grazed her cheek with one hand and her growing stomach with the other. "You're so beautiful." He whispered. The two rocked together slowly, sensuously, until finally collapsing against each other in a heap of sweaty but satisfied bodies.

**#### **

Mere hours later, Emily found herself in the sitting room of her parents' home. Her father must've mentioned she'd be coming by because when her mother answered the door, her face was free of surprise.

The moment she saw her mother, the anger Emily had been holding against her since her father's visit the day before immediately dissipated. For the first time ever, the Ambassador looked small. She'd clearly lost weight and despite the fact she was still dressed in her usual business wear, her face didn't hold the same sense of power and sophistication it previously had.

Their time together was awkward and strained but Emily could tell her mother was trying to be more open and for that she was grateful. The ambassador inquired about the kids, about her pregnancy and about Derek. When Emily tried to talk about the surgery or anything cancer related, her mother's replies became short and sweet. The ambassador tried to keep her face neutral but Emily could tell from years as a profiler and from being a Prentiss herself that her mother was scared. So instead, she talked about the new house they'd be moving into next weekend and told more stories about the kids.

When Emily left, it was with a promise from her mother to keep her informed. They may not have the greatest relationship but it was her mother after all and Emily cared about her health.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N:This will be the final chapter of Survivors. This year has been insane and I just don't have the time to write like I did when I first started this story. It's not how I planned to end it, but I'd finish the story as best I can than leave it incomplete. I may write some one-shots for this storyline later on, but as for now, here you go. I hope you've enjoyed the story.

As always, I do not own CM or any of the characters or content of the show.

* * *

A little over a month after moving into the new house, Emily Prentiss-Morgan found herself sitting in the living room surrounded by gifts for her baby shower. Derek's mother Fran was visiting and had coordinated the event with JJ and Penelope. It was a small gathering, the BAU women plus Matt's wife Kristy, Fran, and two women that Emily had become good friends with through the kids. After a few rounds of games, Emily started unwrapping the gifts. Baby girl Morgan received mounds of clothes ranging from infant to 12-month sizes, books, and toys, as well as practical items like diapers, bottles, and baby sensitive detergent and dish soap.

After everyone had left, barring Fran who was planning to stay until after the baby was born, Derek and the kids made their way upstairs from where they had been "hiding out" in the basement during the shower. The kids eagerly made their way over to Emily and Fran, whom they referred to as Grams, while Derek snuck upstairs to the master bedroom. Returning a few moments later, Emily noticed he was holding a gift behind his back.

"What's that?" She inquired.

"This one is from your mom. She didn't know how you'd feel about it so she recommended you not open it at the shower."

Emily's brow furrowed as she took the wrapped box from Derek. Opening the gift, she found a very familiar knit bunny dressed as a ballerina. Tears immediately pricked Emily's eyes as she recalled memories from her childhood with this very toy. "Oh my god, I can't believe she still had this."

Derek sat beside her, curious of her reaction. "It was yours?" He asked softly.

Emily nodded, swallowing thickly before responding. "When I was little, probably three years old, I spent the summer with my grandparents in Paris. They signed me up for a ballet class and my grandmother knit this for me. I carried it with me everywhere that summer."

Derek smiled, always grateful to hear any happy memories from Emily's childhood. His smile faded however, as he watched his wife wipe a tear from her eye and excuse herself upstairs. He moved to follow behind her but was stopped as Fran reached for his hand.

"Let her go for a moment; she needs time to process. Why don't you make some tea and bring it up to her?" Fran suggested.

Derek nodded, preparing a fresh mug of chamomile tea before making his way upstairs. He found Emily sitting on the chaise in their room, still holding the bunny and staring out the window.

"I need to go see her again." Emily announced, keeping her gaze towards the window until she felt Derek sit down at the end of the chaise. "Dad said her latest scan wasn't good."

"I'm sorry." Derek spoke softly, setting the mug of tea down on the side table before placing a hand over her knee.

"I think I want to bring the kids along this time." Emily said. She'd been going to see her mother once a week since her surgery but so far had always gone alone. "She lights up when I talk about the kids and I think it'd be nice for her to have the chance to meet them in person again. Is that ok?"

"Whatever you think is best, love. I trust you."

"Thank you." Emily smiled, then shifted sideways in the chaise to make as much room as possible for Derek, patting the freed space. "Will you sit with me for a bit?"

"Always." Derek moved beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she snuggled closer and dropping a kiss atop her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispered.

**####**

The next day, Emily and Derek brought the kids to see Elizabeth. Emily had called her father ahead of time to assure that her mother was well enough for a visit from all of them and he assured not only was she well enough but that she'd love it.

When they arrived, the family of four was led to one of the living rooms, where Elizabeth was sitting on the couch with a blanket over her lap reading. Emily had grown accustomed to seeing her mother dressed in jeans and a casual sweater over the past several weeks, but it was a bit of a shock for Derek who had only ever seen her looking prim and proper in a pant suit. She also wore a wig now, having shaved her hair a few weeks back after losing so much, but had Emily not mentioned it, Derek never would've known the difference.

The visit was far more pleasant than both Emily and Derek imagined. The kids took a few minutes to warm up but it wasn't long before Nora was regaling Elizabeth with tales from soccer and preschool as well as showing off her ballet skills. Adam, who had been content to just snack on his goldfish for the first half hour, eventually stood up, grabbed one of his books from the diaper bag and brought it over to Elizabeth. Placing the book in her lap, he climbed up on the couch beside her and said, "Book please."

Elizabeth, though clearly shocked by the ease in which he approached her, simply smiled and started reading. Nora climbed up a moment later, sitting beside Adam and listening to the story Ferdinand the bull. Emily had to fight back tears at the sight of her mother reading to her children. To anyone else, it would seem like a natural interaction between grandmother and grandchildren, but it was a sight Emily never thought she would see even in her wildest dreams.

They stayed through lunch, Elizabeth happily indulging in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with her grandchildren. Derek took the kids home afterwards; Emily having planned to stay a bit longer. She could tell the visit, though enjoyable, had worn her mother out.

"I wanted to thank you for the gift you sent for the baby shower." Emily said as she got her mother settled into bed. "It meant more than you can know to see that bunny again. I always thought I'd left it at grandfather's house in Paris."

"You _had_ left it at your grandparents house, but when your grandmother came and stayed with us in Switzerland after your grandfather passed, she brought it with her. Your grandmother scolded me for not giving it back to you then but you'd been without it for nearly a year by that point and I admit I didn't want you getting attached again." She admitted.

Emily laughed. "I can't imagine you being scolded by anyone, even your own mother."

Elizabeth patted the side of the bed for Emily to sit, waiting until she did to speak again. "She scolded me for plenty of things that spring, mainly to do with you. She saw how distant I was with you and did her best to help. Do you remember the three of us cooking together?" Emily shook her head. "I'd come home from work and find the two of you cooking up a storm in the kitchen. I would try to retreat to the office but mother would nag me until I finally relented and joined in. She thought it would help us bond, and for a while it did, we cooked together almost every evening but then she moved to London and…" Elizabeth sighed. "Well, things went back to how they were. She was always disappointed in me as a mother but I know she'd be very proud of you." Elizabeth was silent for a moment before adding, "I'm proud of you, too."

Emily smiled softly, tears prickling her eyes. "Thank you."

"You have amazing children, Emily. I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get to know them."

"They had a good time with you today. Nora was already asking about when she could visit again." Emily could see the sadness brush over her mother's face at that comment, the uncertainty of how much longer she'd be well enough for visits running through both of their minds. "You should rest now, mother. I'll be back to visit soon and you can always let me know if you'd like me to bring the kids as well."

Elizabeth nodded and Emily squeezed her hand before bidding her farewell.

**#### **

"What do you think of the name Evelyn?" Emily asked Derek out of the blue that evening as they crawled into bed.

He shrugged. "I don't really have strong feelings either way." Emily nodded and Derek could tell there was a lot going on in her head. "What made you think of it?" He asked.

"A story my mother told me today, after you left. When I was a little girl my grandmother came to stay with us for a little while after my grandfather died. It's one of the few times in my childhood I can remember being happy." Emily smiled before shaking her head, seeming to shake herself out of a memory. "Anyway, her name was Evelyn."

Derek had known his wife long enough to know when she needed a nudge. She'd never push for them to name their daughter after her grandmother but he could tell it would mean more to her than she was letting herself believe. He thought for another moment before speaking again. "Evelyn Louise Morgan."

"What?" Emily asked, turning towards him.

"Louise was my grandmother's name. I think it works well together, don't you?"

"Evelyn Louise Morgan." Emily whispered the name.

"We could call her Evie." Derek suggested.

"Evie," Emily repeated, rubbing a hand across her belly. Their daughter kicked against her palm and Emily smiled. "I think she likes it."

"So, did we just name our daughter?" Derek asked.

"I think we did." Emily replied, placing her free hand on his cheek and leaning in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He smiled, placing a hand atop hers on her belly. "And I can't wait to meet our little Evie."

**#### **

Evelyn Louise Morgan was born on September 25th, two days after her due date and just in time for her grandmother to meet her before she passed away. Elizabeth Prentiss was one of the first people to hold the newest addition to the Morgan family, but then, having a room in the same hospital she was born made that pretty easy.

Elizabeth smiled brighter than Emily had ever seen when they announced her name. They had kept it a secret from everyone until she was born but Emily knew her mother would like it. Fran Morgan was also touched to have her mother's name passed along.

Emily took the death of her mother hard, mourning the loss of the woman Elizabeth had become in the last year of her life and wishing she and the kids had more time with that version of her. Fran Morgan was a godsend, staying in DC through the first three weeks of Evie's life and helping around the house and with the older kids while Derek and Emily adjusted to having a newborn. Nora and Adam took to becoming older siblings beautifully, the both of them doting on their little sister every waking moment.

That fall, when Derek's paternity leave was up, he realized it was time to retire from the BAU. He didn't want to miss another moment of his kids' lives being out on cases. He stuck it out through the end of the year, resigning in December. That January, on the same day Emily started her first day of teaching at the academy, Derek started his new position as head of tactical training. It was a mellow life, something neither Derek nor Emily had every pictured for themselves but that they both relished immensely. They both still got to be Agent Morgan and Prentiss, but more importantly, they got to be mom and dad to three amazing kids.


End file.
